Spaghetti Arrabbiata, often mistakenly spelled Spaghetti Arrabiata, is a spicy Italian pasta dish with a sauce of crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, and, typically, red pepper flake. I make this recipe unique by adding Calabrian chili peppers in place of red pepper flake.
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The benefit of using Calabrian chilis in place of red pepper flake is that there are no hard pieces to bite into when you eat the sauce. Especially with older jars of chili flake, I find they can get a bit brittle and unpleasant to chew on.
Here, Calabrian chilis are steeped in the sauce and removed at the end. They add a pretty serious kick, so use them sparingly if you are sensitive to spicy food!
What You'll Need
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- Canned Crushed Tomatoes You can also use canned whole peeled tomatoes that you crush by hand. I often prefer this so I can determine the texture of the sauce.
- Garlic I used fresh minced garlic for this recipe. You can also thinly slice your garlic if you prefer.
- Onion Here I used a yellow onion, but a sweet onion will work well too.
- Olive Oil A high-quality olive oil is always nice when your recipe has so few ingredients, but use whatever you have on hand.
- Calabrian Chilis I recommend using whole Calabrian chilis so that they are easier to remove from the sauce.
- Kosher Salt My recommendation is to use the brand Diamond Crystal because it allows you to easily adjust without oversalting. It is shaped in flakes as opposed to grains, which means it has a less concentrated salty flavor by volume.
How to Prepare
Step One Dice half of your onion.
Step Two Mince or thinly slice your garlic.
Step Three Put a large pan or medium sauce pot on medium to medium-low heat, add the olive oil, and wait until it is just shimmering. Add the onion and Calabrian chilis and sweat until the onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.
Step Four Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step Five Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with more salt. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step Six Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook to box directions.
Step Seven Remove the chilis from the sauce.
Step Eight Strain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Mix well and serve.
Variations
Different Pasta Shapes You can make this sauce with another long pasta, like linguine or angel hair, or try a short tube pasta like rigatoni or penne.
Traditional If you don't have access to Calabrian chili peppers, you can use a tablespoon of red pepper flake in their place.
Fresh Herbs You can make this dish even more delicious with the addition of fresh herbs like basil or parsley sprinkled over the finished dish.
How to Store
Cool and then store in an airtight container, making sure to transfer to the fridge within 2 hours of cooking for food safety reasons.
I recommend storing the pasta and sauce separately or making the sauce in advance and cooking the pasta when you are ready to eat.
FAQ
You can freeze the sauce. Cool the sauce and place in a freezer bag or other appropriately sized container. I recommend freezing only for about 3 months to maintain the best flavor.
Yes. If making ahead of time, store the pasta and sauce separately and combine once reheated. The sauce will remain good in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
From frozen: Thaw sauce in the fridge overnight and then bring up to a boil and down to a simmer on the stove before serving with fresh spaghetti.
From fridge: If refrigerated, you can bring the sauce up to temperature on the stove as well. If the sauce and pasta are already combined, use the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
You can use up to a tablespoon of red pepper flake in its place.
Expert Tips
- For al dente pasta, use the lower of the 2 cook times on the box directions (e.g., cook for 10 minutes if it says 10 to 11 minutes). You can also take the pasta out of the water 1 minute before it's ready and finish cooking in the sauce.
- For the best-tasting pasta sauce, season as you go. Season your onions while they are sweating and continue to taste throughout the cooking process, adding more seasoning as necessary.
- Don't forget to salt your pasta water! Authentic Italian pasta dishes are cooked in water that is saltier than you may think, so add an extra pinch and see if you like the taste of your pasta even more.
How to Serve
This spaghetti can definitely be a meal unto itself, but here are some great ideas for how to fill out your dinner table:
Salad Any simple green salad with a lemon herb vinaigrette would be a great addition to your table.
Roasted Vegetables Try roasted broccolini or roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine.
Garlic Bread A piece of garlic bread or freshly toasted bread spread with roasted garlic or roasted garlic butter would be delicious here to sop up any remaining sauce in the bowl.
Multi-Course Dinner You can really impress guests if you serve this pasta as one course in a multi-course meal with soup, salad, Italian Chicken Cutlets, and dessert!
Meatballs Try a batch of these wonderful porcupine meatballs from Garlic Salt and Lime.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you're in the mood for more pasta, try these recipes:
Penne al Salmone (Penne with Salmon and Cherry Tomatoes)
📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Arrabbiata
Equipment
- Large Frying Pan or Medium Sauce Pot
Ingredients
Pasta
- 10 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
Sauce
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes crushed or whole peeled
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ½ onion yellow or sweet
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 to 8 Calabrian chilis whole, or 1 tablespoon chili flake
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh herbs like parsley or basil, optional
- Parmesan cheese grated, optional
Instructions
Sauce
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Place a large pan or medium sauce pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion, chilis, and a pinch of salt, and sweat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onion is becoming translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and season with salt. If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush with your hand as you add them to the pot. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chilis with a slotted spoon.
Pasta
- Meanwhile, set a stockpot filled with salted water over high heat. Once the water is boiling (and the sauce has cooked for at least 10 minutes), add the pasta and cook to package directions.
- When the pasta is finished, strain or use tongs to add the pasta to the sauce.
- Garnish with parsley or basil and parmesan cheese if desired and serve right away.
Notes
- If you do not have access to Calabrian chilis, use 1 tablespoon of red pepper flake/chili flake in their place. You do not need to remove the chili flake like you would the chilis.
- This dish can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then place in a pot on the stove. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving over fresh pasta.
- To make in advance, I recommend storing the sauce and pasta separately or making the pasta when ready to serve the sauce.
Jere Cassidy says
I totally get that about the chili flakes being hard so I like your solution of cooking the peppers in the sauce, that is such a good idea. This is such an easy recipe with the perfect amount of heat.
Genevieve says
Thanks Jere! I’m glad you agree about the texture and it’s not only me. 🙂
Claire says
I loved using whole chillies and removing them! It really changed the texture of the sauce.
I had leftovers so took them for lunch and it reheated really well! I think the office was a bit jealous!
Great recipe will be making it again
Genevieve says
I’m so happy you liked the texture! Thanks, Claire.
Jennifer says
I always order this when dining out so I was thrilled to make it at home and find that it's just as delish! Great recipe! Easy and quick! Yum!
Genevieve says
Thanks Jennifer!
Greta says
Oh my...this was such a delicious dish. I am always open to a little spaghetti or a chili.... but this dish, combined together was an absolutely HIT. Loved it.
Genevieve says
Thanks so much!
Sherrie says
We love pasta in our family and this was a huge hit. Thanks for the suggestions on what to swap as well as the expert tips section - super helpful!
Genevieve says
Thanks Sherrie! Glad to hear the family enjoyed it.
Cam says
This is amazing! My family loved this so much!
Genevieve says
So glad to hear it!
Allyssa says
This is really easy to follow, loved this spaghetti arrabbiata recipe! It's really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Genevieve says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Glenda says
I had to use red pepper flakes to make this and it was still fabulous! Such a simple and flavorful dish. We absolutely love it! Thanks!
Genevieve says
Thank you, Glenda! Glad you enjoyed it.
Dana says
I could not believe that making this seemingly fancy pasta dish would be so quick and easy. We aren't much for a lot of heat, so it was nice to be able to control how much chili to use.
Genevieve says
Thanks Dana! I’m glad you were able to adjust the heat to your liking.
Jenna says
This recipe is delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Genevieve says
Glad you liked it! Thanks Jenna.
Allyssa says
This is really easy to follow, loved this spaghetti arrabiata recipe! It's really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Genevieve says
Thank you!
Glenda says
Couldn't find calabrian chilies in our area, so subbed in red pepper flakes and the dish is stunning! What a delicious pasta that can be used as a side or as the whole meal. I ate it for lunch again the next day. Leftovers were just as good as the first time around. Yum!
Genevieve says
Thanks Glenda! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Glenn says
We're enjoying this easy and flavorful meal as a regular part of our meal rotation, now. It's a new family favorite!
Genevieve says
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Glenn.
Traci says
Beautiful recipe and it turned out amazing! It was delicious reheated too!
Genevieve says
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Traci!
MacKenzie says
The flavors in this pasta are fantastic. My entire family loved this simple recipe.
Genevieve says
Thank you, MacKenzie!
Mandy Applegate says
This spaghetti is the perfect weeknight dinner and tastes great!
Genevieve says
So happy you enjoyed it, Mandy!
Sharina says
Never thought that spaghetti could be this good. Spaghetti arrabbiata is a hit, my family loves it. We'll surely make this wonderful recipe again. Thanks Gen for this Italian recipe. Highly recommended!
Genevieve says
Thanks so much!
Adriana Rojas says
Amazingly easy to make and SOOO delicious!